Guwahati: Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi has raised concerns over the growing incidence of student suicides in higher educational institutions, saying the recent death of an IIT Delhi student points to a broader systemic crisis surrounding student distress in India.
In a post on X, Gogoi said the death at IIT Delhi should prompt educational institutions and authorities to examine the structural factors contributing to mounting distress among students.
Citing media reports, he claimed that eight students have died by suicide at IIT Delhi over the past 30 months, including two students from the Scheduled Caste community.
Gogoi also referred to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, stating that 14,488 student suicides were recorded across India in 2024, with 2,032 cases attributed to examination failure.
He cited observations made by the Supreme Court, which has referred to the rising incidence of student suicides as a “suicide epidemic”. The court has highlighted several factors linked to student distress, including academic pressure, caste discrimination, financial hardship, sexual harassment, examination failure and ragging.
Gogoi also referred to the National Task Force constituted by the Supreme Court, saying it had warned that student suicides represented only the “tip of the iceberg” of a much wider crisis.
According to the Congress MP, the task force had also criticised educational institutions for treating suicide primarily as an individual problem rather than addressing structural deficiencies within campuses.
Gogoi said existing measures to tackle student distress remained largely generic and reactive, with gaps in accountability and implementation.
“Even after years of reports, UGC regulations, government strategies, and SC guidelines, we continue to lose our students,” Gogoi said, questioning how many more lives would be lost before the issue was addressed comprehensively.
The issue has drawn renewed attention following the death of a 31-year-old MSc Physics student at IIT Delhi on August 22. The incident led to protests on the campus, with students demanding an independent inquiry and greater institutional accountability.